2026 household hazardous waste collection update
The McLean County Household Hazardous Waste Collection event is scheduled for Bloomington. Participation is open to all Illinois residents at no cost, but registration is required. In order to help regulate traffic and prevent long wait times, please sign up at the button below. Event location and specific directions are provided upon appointment registration. The registration deadline is August 18, 2026, and organizers will likely reach maximum capacity quickly due to the very short time until the event.
Carpooling of household hazardous waste is encouraged to help reduce the number of cars but increase the number of materials collected. Consider offering to take HHW materials for neighbors to help reduce event wait times at the event.
Only residentially generated HHW items are accepted. See the full list below.
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Accepted materials include: oil-based paints, used motor oil, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, old gasoline, pool chemicals, cleaning products, mercury, acids, alkaline household batteries, Ni-Cad batteries, lithium household batteries, paint thinners, lawn chemicals, solvents, antifreeze, hobby chemicals, aerosol paints and pesticides, fluorescent lamp bulbs, vapes, drain cleaners, and corrosives.
Unaccepted items include: latex paint, agricultural wastes, explosives, fireworks, controlled substances and unwanted or expired medications, car or truck batteries (lead-acid), propane tanks, smoke detectors, farm machinery oil, fire extinguishers, biohazard waste, institutional or business waste, electronics/e-waste, or appliances.
Volunteers are needed to help with traffic management. Please sign up for a shift to help if you are available.
The 2026 HHW collection event is made possible in partnership with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the City of Bloomington, Town of Normal, McLean County, the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District, and Republic Services.
Your appointment is a commitment to participate in this hazardous waste collection event; it takes significant financial resources and labor to provide this service. No-shows or last minute cancellations waste opportunities for others who could have attended. If you decide you are unable to attend, please cancel a minimum of one week prior to the event in order to open your appointment spot to other possible attendees to avoid wasting this opportunity.
Paint disposal
The PaintCare Program made its Illinois debut on December 1, 2025, and now provides local residents and businesses with options for free paint recycling for both latex and oil based paints.
Stay in the loop
Please sign up for HHW collection updates via our Household Hazardous Waste Collection email list to stay in the loop on future HHW collection events.
Other options
There are five permanent HHW collection sites that any Illinois resident can utilize year round. Check out a full list of permanent HHW facilities in Illinois.
Future McLean County HHW facility needs your support
In late 2024 the Ecology Action Center completed a year-long feasibility study to determine the costs associated with building and operating a local facility to take household hazardous waste materials from residents on a regular basis. A local HHW facility would make it much easier for all residents of central Illinois to properly dispose of household hazardous wastes all year long.
This study was conducted as one of the top priorities of the 20-Year Materials Recovery Management Plan for McLean County, Bloomington, and Normal, Illinois, which was approved by the local governments in 2017. This study is a key step toward a possible permanent facility to accept household hazardous waste materials from central Illinois residents for safe disposal on a regular basis, greatly improving access in order to better safeguard groundwater and surface water supplies in the community.
Organizers now need to demonstrate support from local residents as they work to build a public-private partnership to bring this to reality. Your tax-deductible donation will help pay for design costs, property acquisition, permitting, construction, and other related costs. This could be the first ever HHW facility in central Illinois; the closest existing facilities are in the Chicago area or East St. Louis.
The Ecology Action Center appreciates financial support for household hazardous waste disposal in the community and invites residents to join in improving local access for all residents.
